New Family, Old Stalkers
by jujubee123
Summary: Sam and Freddie finally have the family they wanted with little Adam. But there are a few issues. Can our couple survive living in Montana with Mrs. Benson and Sam's psychotic ex on the loose? Fluffy Seddie Family. Carly x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Here we are guys! This is the beginning chapter of the sequel to "Set Me as a Seal Upon Your Heart". Yeah, I know this title isn't half as poetic as the other, but oh well :) I highly recommend you read my first story before this one or I almost guarantee you'll be lost. So I hope you enjoy meeting baby Benson :) PLEASE REVIEW! **

XXX

Sam

This was hell. This was pure, unadulterated, terrible, awful, freaking _torture_ and no one was helping. Carly, Jules, Mel, Spencer and his wife Alexa had flown to Montana for the birth of my kid and _none_ of them knew when to shut up! Between Fredstupid's frantic calls to "keep breathing baby, just keep breathing" and his crazed mother shoving ice chips in my face I didn't need anyone else being a freaking birthing coach.

"Sam keep breathing. I love you baby. Keep. Buh. Ree. Thinguh!"

"I'm here for you sis! Just squeeze my hand whenever you feel pain. As hard as you want! Go Sam go!"

"You're doing great, Sam! You're doing great! Sam you're doing great! Great job Sammy-Wammy! Woot! You're doing fantastic, Sam! Fantastic! Awesome. Great job!"

"Sam, I'll just keep stroking your hair for as long as you need me to!"

"Samantha, you need more ice chips! Open your mouth! Come on! Open that mouth! Sam! Say-"

"SHUUUUUTTTTT UPPPPP!" I cried sitting up straight in the bed. "Shut! Up! All of you! I can't take it anymore! It's like a freaking pep rally in here!" I reached out for Freddie, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and yanking his face no more than an inch from mine. "You…." I could feel that old satisfaction from his fear bubble up inside me, kind of taking the edge off of the labor pains. "You tell me to keep breathing one more time and I swear when I'm through here I will kick you in the balls so hard there won't even be a _chance_ at another baby you hear me?"

He swallowed hard as he nodded. "Yes, Sam! I'm sorry…" I shoved him away, still breathing heavily and in the worst possible pain, but I was happier when nothing but silence from the peanut gallery was heard in that too-clean-scented hospital room.

Marissa was the only person dumb enough to break the silence when she squeaked: "Would you like some more ice chips, Saman-"

"Noo! Just shut up so I can push this baby out!"

It was silent for good now. Everyone sat down on the love seat in the room and those who couldn't fit took the floor or the armrest. The only person who stayed near me was Freddie, and that honestly was all I really wanted.

"Sam," he voice quaked slightly, almost like when we were kids again. This time though, I knew his tone wavered for a bigger reason than just plain fear. I looked up into his eyes as he softly spoke. "I know you probably want us to leave you be. Just to be quiet so you can focus. But _I_ can't leave you. Not when you're going through this…" I read in his eyes just as much fear and worry as I felt on the inside. He stood at a distance, not touching me but I suddenly felt the need to have him wrapped around me.

"No…" I breathed, reeling from the last contraction. "Come here… Just hold me okay? Don't say anything, don't move… Just hold me. I'm tired, I want a freaking quadruple cheese burger, and I want to meet out son… Coppice?"

He nodded moving towards me and enveloping me in his strong arms. His smell drifted around me, calming me. I rarely admit it, but the effect his warmth and his scent had always had on me was intense. I took in a deep breath, as I felt the beginning of the next contraction. It was going to be a strong one and what was more…

I _needed _to push.

"Someone call the doctor! I need to push! The baby's coming I can feel it!"

"I'll go! You don't worry, Sam! Uncle Spencer's got this!" Spencer stood up, running frantically towards the door only to smash into the wall next to it. I forgot about how badly the man worked under pressure.

The room gave a collective groan. "Look, _I'll _go…" Julie offered standing quickly to her feet and calling for the doctor to come.

I looked up at my fiancé, my man, my everything. "Freddie he's coming… What if I can't do it?" Then I whispered to him words that I thought no one, not even him, would ever here me say. "Freddie, I'm scared."

He held me tighter, kissing my hair. "You've got this, Sam. Keep being the strongest girl in the world and you'll be fine. You can do this, I know it… I love you…"

"I love you too…"

XXX

An hour later, after fifteen hours total of labor and birth, little Adam David Benson came into the world, pink and screaming with a strength that could not have possibly come from such a little body. He was the most perfect baby I had ever laid eyes on…

And he was all mine.

Six pounds, seven ounces of healthy.

I always thought that mothers exaggerated the intense love they felt when they first held their babies, but looking down at Adam's sweet little face I knew I was wrong. The overwhelming love didn't even need to develop over time. It was already in existence the instant I heard him cry.

By now, it was late, baby Adam was now seven hours and fifty-four minutes old, and after a long telephone call to Gibby and Guppy, who wanted more than anything to at least hear the baby, even if we had gotten out of touch over the years. Everyone had gone to sleep in various places around the room. Spencer and Alexa headed back to the house with Crazy to pack more baby supplies, even though there was plenty with us at the hospital; Carly and Julie were curled up on opposite ends of the couch while Mel slept on top of the protruding window sill.

Freddie and I lay together in the hospital bed, between us was our son, sleeping peacefully. His tiny features were illuminated by the soft light emanating from the lamp across the room. Our hands connected over Adam's little belly as we felt his quick breaths while he slept. Now I wasn't one for affection, but here, now, in this moment felt like the perfect time to show my family how much I loved them.

"He's so perfect, Freddie…" I whispered.

"He is… He has your nose…"

"Yeah?" I gently ran a finger along his tiny, snubbed nose. "I'm hoping he'll have your eyes…" I looked up at him. "You have really nice eyes… Did I ever tell you that?"

He chuckled softly, careful to not wake Adam. "Maybe once… when you were basking in the afterglow of love making…" he smirked sexily.

I sighed. "Don't get any ideas… We're not allowed to…" he looked down at the sleeping baby then back up at me. "You know... do _grownup _stuff for a month."

I stuck out my tongue in disgust. "Freddy, he can't understand you..."

He scoffed. "That's what you think. Have you _seen _the Bugrats?"

I groaned. "That's a cartoon..."

"Whatever…" he shrugged, running his hand over Adam's fuzzy hair. "I don't know how we'd get the time anyway. They say the first month with a new baby is the hardest…"

"Ehh.. We'll make it through…"

We were silent for a while, smiling down at our perfect little love child. Adam David Benson had to be the luckiest little boy in the world to have a father like Freddie. A man who was caring, attentive, smart, and sensitive. A man who could show him exactly what a boy should grow up to be.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy…" Freddie murmured, gazing only at his son. "Ever. And it's all because of you, baby…"

I looked up with a glare. "Hey," I warned him. "I let you get away with calling me baby when I was in labor. I was too exhausted to punch you lights out. But now… cut it out."

He sighed. "Sorry… But don't you ever miss that we don't have pet names for each other?"

"I think we're beyond pet names now," I whispered using my other hand to stroke Adam's round cheeks. "Unless you count the array of amazing variations on your name that I come up with."

"You do come up with some pretty creative stuff…"

"Don't I know it." He smiled again, eyes now drooping slightly. "Sleepy?"

"A little bit… but I don't want to go to sleep. I just want to watch him."

"Creeper…" I teased. "He'll be here for you to watch in the morning. Anyway, I need to get some rest too. It's been a long day…"

"That it has," he sat up slowly, stretching and gently lifting Adam to place him in the hospital's bassinet. "Good night, little man." He whispered as he leaned down to kiss his forehead.

My heart melted like butter at the sight, which never happens. I like to take pride in my hardened heart. But watching him interact so lovingly with our beautiful little boy, I turned to a pile of girly mush.

I wanted to devour him.

I _couldn't _devour him.

I groaned in frustration as he snuggled under the thin sheets with me and held me close. "What's up?" he asked.

"I want you, bad…"

"Already? Sam, you just gave birth…"

"I know… But you look so sexy when your… 'fathering'."

I closed my eyes and snuggled into the pillow, but I could just feel that satisfied smirk on her lips. "Why thank you, Mrs. Puckett-Benson."

"Ugh… shut up and go to sleep. I'd smack you but I'm too tired…"

"Good night… I love you with all of my heart. You and our beautiful son."

I secretly loved it when he was all mushy. "Love you too, Freddison… More than you know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and REVIEW**

XXX

Freddie

Before long, three days were up and we were ready to take Adam home for the first time. Everyone was back at the house, preparing a little "Welcome Home" party for him. But Carly stayed at the hospital with me and Sam, helping us pack while fawning over Adam. We were laughing at old memories, Sam threw a few punches at me… It was just like the good old days. Living the life as carefree, teen web stars.

"And do you remember that time we hired that dumb intern?" Carly laughed.

"We?" I shook my head while bouncing Adam to soothe him back to sleep after he'd woken up balling a few minutes before. "I remember being completely against it!"

"Only because you were _jealous…_" Sam teased as she reached for the baby, kissing his nose softly while she strapped him into his car seat. "You know you wanted Momma all to yourself."

Taking a blanket to cover Adam from the sun that would be boring down on him outside, I whacked her with it playfully before placing it over him. "Maybe I did…"

"Hmm…" she moved closer, taking my bicep in her hand. "I'm glad you did…"

"I bet I'm more glad about it than you…"

"Oh, really? Why don't you show me how much more?"

"Oh when I get you home-"

"Stop it!" Carly shouted, stepping between us. "Ugh! Come on guys, there's a child in the room!"

I sighed, moving away from Sam reluctantly and resumed packing. "Sorry, Carly…" we both groaned at the same time.

She waved it off. "No need to be sorry. You guys are cute." her gaze traveled over to Adam. "But not as cute as my brand new little nephew!" she cooed, stroking his tiny fist with her finger. "No their not! No their not!"

"So when are we going to meet this guy you've been talking about?" I asked, nudging her with my elbow. "Ben, right? Then we can all be _cute _together."

Carly scoffed. "Oh, shut up… You'll see him eventually…"

"Why didn't you just fly him up here with you?" Sam asked as she clipped the pacifier onto the Adam's fuzzy, blue, "Mama's Boy" onesie. "It's been what? Three months?"

"Yeah… But… isn't it still too soon for romantic getaways?"

"Carls, watching your best friend give birth is the farthest thing from romantic… When my Aunt Sandra gave birth, the whole family had to pitch in because that baby was coming out fast and she was on house arrest… And let me tell _you_… It was nauseating. Ick…" Carly and I looked at each other, sharing disgusted glances. Sam gently grasped her shoulders with a shake. "Wake up Carly. Smell the coffee. Take risks! You used to be the one pushing me to do those things! This should not be my job."

"Yes, but now you're a mom and soon going to be a wife. Taking risks should be the last thing on your mind by now."

"Ha… Please, Carly," she turned away to go into the bathroom to change into her sweats for the day. "You say that as if you don't know me at all…" she chuckled to herself as she closed the door. "That's funny… no more risks…"

Carly shook her head in Sam's direction. "She'll learn…" then looked up at me. There was something in her eyes that I had never seen before and I moved closer. "Carls, what's up?"

She looked away, turning to baby Adam. "Nothing! I'm fine."

"No your not…" I pulled her down to sit next to me on the bed. "What's going on? You don't seem like yourself."

She shook her head again. "Freddie, I'm _fine _alright… It's just-" she gave a heavy breath. "I'm 26."

I was confused. "Yeah, so?"

"So? So… by now I should have found the man I'm going to be with for the rest of my life. I should be popping out babies too… Sam and I always planned on having kids at the same time, so they could grow up together… You know?"

"Carly you're acting like your fifty…"

"…What if I never find someone?"

"You will!" I put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. "You will, Carly, I promise… That perfect guy for you is just waiting for you to come along…"

"You think?"

"I _know_…" with a friendly kiss to her forehead I stood to grab Sam's wheelchair so we could leave. "Who knows? He might even be waiting here in Montana."

She groaned. "No way… I hate it here."

I had to agree. I hated it too. Growing up in a state where rain was the constant forecast and sunshine was a gift, this dry, desert land was too much to bear. Too hot, too dry, too boring. "I hate it here too," I admitted. "So does Sam. But if being here means that Adam stays safe, I'll live and die here."

Carly stood, placing her hand on my shoulder. "You're gonna make a fantastic father, Freddie."

I gave her a smile, then looked over at my sleeping son. So small and peaceful. A piece of me and the woman that I loved more than anything. "Thanks, Carls…"

"Alright!" Sam called softly, emerging from the bathroom. "I'm ready to go home and eat some real food!"

I could help but think that as she emerged from the bathroom in her comfy sweats, she was radiant with the glow of motherhood. "Okay, then hop in." I gestured at the wheelchair.

She looked me up and down like I was crazy. "I don't need a wheelchair. My legs work just fine!"

"Sam, I am more than confident that your legs are fine, but the doctors say-"

"Why do you always have to follow the rules?"

"Because they're made there for a _reason_!"

"Reason, Shmeason, I'm not getting in that chair," she strode over to the bed to grab Adam's carrier. "Come on baby boy, let's go home."

"Sam, you shouldn't be carrying him," Carly reasoned. "You just gave birth, take it easy. Let's just push you in the chair, and head to Mrs. Benson's house."

Sam looked between us than with a loud sigh, she handed Adam to me and plopped into the wheel chair. "Fine…"

Carly and I shared a quick glance. "You sure you don't want to move to Montana? She listens to you…"

"You know if I could I would-"

"No you wouldn't…"

"Yeah… probably not."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everybody! I really hope Sam doesn't seem OOC to you, but I tried to keep her just as aggressive as always except towards Adam. She's a mama now! :) Review, Review, Review!**

XXX

Sam

I'm pretty sure I've changed Adam into five different outfits today. I used to feel like gagging at those mothers who dressed their babies up for show, but my boy was the cutest kid on the planet and I just couldn't help myself. It would be a crime not to dress him up, and I've committed enough of those in my life. Anytime he spit up just a little on himself, or needed a diaper change, or drooled too much, I changed his clothes. I found every excuse in the book and used them all more than once.

It didn't get past Freddie by any means. But I guess he finally had the guts to say something when he walked into our bedroom, now the resident baby sanctuary of Marissa's oversized house, and caught me in the act of putting Adam into an "I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" onesie and a mini pair of black vintage glasses.

"You're changing him again?" he shook his head. "Sam, you're going to wear out those clothes faster than he will!"

"Ehh no I won't…" I shrugged. "Do you know how many of these funny onesies we have? It's been 5 months I still haven't used all of them. I wonder where that "Bacon Boy" one went. Hmm…"

"Sam…" he whispered in a warning tone. "You're going to turn into one of those crazy mothers…"

"Like your mom? Pssh… Please… And anyway, can I help it that I'm the mother of the sweetest baby boy ever?"

Adam gurgled and made tiny bubbles with his lips as I propped him up against the pillows stared at him. I took out my digital camera started snapping pictures left and right. "Oh yeah! Work it baby! Work those glasses."

He patted his hands together, giving a little open mouthed grin. Those big brown eyes that were just like Freddie's were lit up as he looked between his father and me. He was, without a doubt, the center of my universe.

"He looks just like you Frednerd…" I whispered after I put the camera down, soothing my hand over his fuzzy chocolate brown hair. "Only much, much cuter…"

"Thanks…"

"Oh, you're very welcome…"

Suddenly, my phone rang from my purse and I had to laugh as Adam sat up quickly, looking around to see where the noise was coming from.

"Da da daaaaa…" he burbled reaching curiously for the camera.

"No, no, baby…" I murmured softly. "Freddie, get that!"

I kept playing with my son while I listened to Freddie. "Hello? Oh, hey Carls! Oh yeah, Adam's fine. He's making a lot more sounds since you've last seen him… Yeah… Uh huh… Yes, Sam keeps buying him these baby clothes and bibs with sayings on them. The last onesie she got said "I'm in da club hallin' Aye Bay Bay"…" he shot a look at me.

"What?" I shrugged. "It was funny!"

"So anyway," he continued with an eye roll. "What's up? …. You and Ben? What about him?….. Oh… okay sure I'll let you talk to Sam, hold on." he held out the phone for me. "It's Carly."

"Nahh, really?"

He rolled his eyes. "She said she needs to talk to you. Something about Ben."

"Okay. And can you feed Adam please? It's nearly one and I want him to eat before he takes his nap. Some pureed squash should do the job." I took the phone from him and he gently lifted Adam to take him for some lunch, tickling him and smiling. I beamed lovingly at my family as they walk from the room before Carly's voice broke me from my thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Oh, sorry! Hey, Carls… You alright?"

"Yeah," she answered. "More than alright actually. I just need your opinion on something… Oh, and by the way, you and Freddie sounded extremely domestic just then." I could practically feel her smiling on the other end. "He's moved onto baby food already?"

"I know, we were surprised too. But he's growing fast and breast milk alone wasn't doing the job anymore. He would get hungry again just a couple of hours after feeding and I for sure don't make milk that fast so the doctor said we could start with some pureed veggies and stuff. It seems to keep him full and he likes it." I was grinning, without any will or ability to stop. I loved talking about my baby. He was so cute. "So enough about me, what's going on with you and Ben?"

Carly cleared her throat. "Well… As you know we've been together for almost eight months."

"Right…"

"And last night… he… kind of asked me to marry him…"

My jaw dropped. So soon? "Marry you? Do- Do you want too?"

"I don't know, Sam… That's why I called you. Do you think I should?"

I paused. "I don't know Carly… I mean, I haven't even met the guy… It depends on what you want. Do you love him?"

"Y-yeah…" she stammered hesitantly. "I-I do…"

"I don't think you're sure…"

She was quiet for a while, so quiet that it almost seemed like the line had gone dead. "You there?" I asked.

"Yeah…" she whispered.

"So what was with the hesitation?"

Carly breathed out heavily. "I don't know, Sam… I just feel like it's going too fast you know? I feel like I could love him one day, but we haven't gotten to that point yet. I mean, Sam he's the perfect guy. Smart, funny, sweet, handsome.. He's pretty well off so that adds to this list. Why shouldn't I love him?"

"Because the heart wants what it wants. If you don't really love him then don't marry him."

"But Sam! Maybe it's my time to be happy! Maybe I should jump on this before I never get another chance to find love…"

"Carly you still have time. Just take it slow okay?"

She sighed heavily. "Okay…"

"Tell you what. You and Ben fly over here and spend a week with us whenever you both can get time off. You haven't seen Adam since he was born and who knows? This trip could be the true test."

"You know, that's not a bad idea! I'll talk to Ben about it."

"Great! I'm still on leave and it's sooo boring when Freddie and Crazy go to work… No one to torture, no one to have sex with-"

"_Sam!_ TMI!"

"Sorry… Anyway it would be great to have you and Ben keep me, Adam, and Elmo company."

Carly chuckled. "I can't wait for it."

"…so you told him… what?"

She paused again, as if she didn't realize I had changed subjects. "Oh! I umm.. I told him to give me some time to think."

"And he said?"

"He was very chill about it."

"Okay, Carls… Oh and… he's not… you know. Beating you is he? Because, that's a hard thing to let go of, trust me. You know I've been there. They seem perfect but then… _boom_. Right in your face."

"I know… And he's not I promise. If he was I would tell you…"

"Alright…" Almost instantly, I heard Adam's cry from downstairs. My maternal protectiveness broke out and I felt the strongest urge to run to my baby's aid. "Oh, I have to go. Adam's crying… Sorry! I'll call you later to talk details okay?"

"'Kay, sounds like a plan! Stay blonde Mama Benson. Love you…"

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. "Stay Brune Mama Shay. Love you too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter! FYI, if you thought Ben was good news, think again...**

XXX

Carly

"_Adam! Say hi to Daddy!"_

_Adam's pudgy fingers waved to the camera as he crawled over to the other side of the picnic blanket were his mother sat with open arms and a bright smile. It was obvious he hadn't had much practice in the art of crawling. "This is Adam's first time ever at the park! Yay!" Freddie turned the camera to face him as his voice came over the monitor. "And we just wanted to make this quick video to show Aunt Carly that there is _some _grass in Montana."_

Carly and Ben chuckled.

_The camera panned over to where Sam sat hugging her son tightly against her chest. "Sam! Say hi to Carly and Ben!" he whispered. _

"_Hi Carly hi Ben! We can't wait to meet you in two weeks! Not you Carly, we already met you."_

"_Bahhh! Di di di diiii!" Adam shouted waving his hands frantically up and down, then looking up at his mom. _

"_He's trying to tell you something Carly!" she leaned down to his little ear and whispered something and a second later, Adam blew a kiss at the screen. _

"_Mah!" he shouted with a gurgle. _

"_He says: "I love you Aunt Carly!" Freddie laughed. _

"_Okay, the mosquitoes are coming out…" Sam grumbled whacking a bug in midair. "We should get him home, Freddly."_

"_Yeah okay… Well Carly, we'll see you in two weeks. We love you okay?"_

"_I love you more…" Sam smiled down at Adam as he blew dozens of kisses at the camera. "Well, maybe not as much as this guy…"_

"_Mah! Da da da da da… Mah, mah, mmmmah!"_

"_Bye Carls, see you soon…"_

The video went off.

"Wow…" Ben murmured, resting his chin on my shoulder. "They seem happy don't they?"

"Oh, trust me… they don't just seem that way. They _are_ happy…"

"That's great," he kissed my ear. "They make a great little family… Do they want to have more?"

I shrugged. "I know they probably want to, but Sam has an issue where it's almost impossible for her to get pregnant. Adam was a miracle. That's one of the big reasons why we all love him so much."

"I guess it helps that he's adorable," Ben laughed.

"Oh it definitely doesn't hurt!"

We were left in comfortable silence for a while, just breathing each other in, when he whispered: "So when are we going to give little Adam a playmate?"

I sighed in annoyance. Most couples could laugh a statement like that off with an "Oh, shut up…" But with Ben, he was always completely serious. "Ben, we've been through this before. I'm not ready for kids yet…"

"I still don't get why. We could have a little person to be a piece of me and a piece of you… A kid like Adam. Wouldn't it be perfect?"

"I guess..."

Ben raised an eyebrow at me as the happy smirk on his face suddenly vanished. "You guess? No, you should _know _Carly... We will have kids one day, no matter what... Understand?"

I swallowed thickly, and nodded slowly. I hated it when I was like this. "O-okay..."

Just as quickly as it had left, the smile returned. "Good. Now, how about you go upstairs and slip into something more comfortable?"

"I-" I shrugged. "I don't know, Ben… Look. I'm kind of tired. I-I have work in the morning and- I just want to go to bed okay?"

I stood up, walking away. Sometimes he didn't know when too much was… _too much…_ "You can let yourself out alright?"

"Sure… You… don't want me to stay?"

"No, I think I just want to be alone tonight, thanks…"

I turned and watch him storm to the door. "Fine…" he murmured in an intense but hushed tone. "I'll go… We're still on for dinner tomorrow night right?"

I sighed again. "Sure."

"…I love you, baby…"

"You too…" I whispered as he walked out the door. Instead of walking up the stairs to my room, I found myself much too drained to move and I slumped down against the stair case. Ben sometimes tired me out. Just being near him sometimes made me feel like I was drowning, but not in the way they describe it in romance novels.

Not in the way Sam describes it when she watches Freddie snuggling in a rocking chair with Adam.

There was a picture of that on her mantle, sent to her by Sam just a few weeks after the baby was born. Both Freddie and Adam had fallen asleep on the rocking chair when the baby had woken up in the middle of the night from the pain of his belly button falling off. Sam had stood there watching for a while, then decided to snap a quick picture and send it to everyone.

She stood slowly and walked over to the mantle, taking the picture in her hands. The warm, gold and blue tones of the nursery made Carly's heart swell. She wished she had that. Love, happiness, a family of her own.

Could she see that with Ben?

She wanted to talk with her best friends but then she checked the clock. 11:30 meaning it was 10:30 over there. Too late for a phone call. Who knew whether or not little Adam had gone to sleep yet? Instead she sent Sam a text.

_Is baby asleep?_

Minutes later, Sam replied:

_**No… I think he's starting to teethe. He's been up all night crying and he's not eating or drinking. Damn we should have bought him teething rings when he was born… Guess it's Babies R Us tomorrow… **_

_Sorry… :( Can you talk?_

_**I don't think so… I'm off maternity leave tomorrow. I start work as a dance instructor downtown :) If Adam doesn't go to sleep soon, I don't know how I'm going to function…**_

Carly sighed and texted a forced silly text:

_Coffee?_

_**You know it babe. And lots of it! xD **_

_Okay, well I hope baby feels better… Give him and Freddie a kiss for me._

_**Will do! Especially Fredwierd… You know if we get time tonight to "get it on!"**_

_SAM…_

_**Sorry… TMI?**_

_Maybe a little. _

_**My B. So call me tomorrow if you can before you leave for work. I'll need support when I drop Adam off at Daycare. I don't know how I'm going to leave him for a whole day… SB!**_

_SB…_

I couldn't help but be in awe at how grown up Sam sounded. She was a busy working mom and wife-to-be and here I was, stuck with a guy who loved me be left me drained. I need some sleep.

Setting my phone on the coffee table so I wouldn't have any distractions while I slept, I trudged upstairs, ready to curl under the covers until it was time to get up for work.


	5. Chapter 5

XXX

Sam

"Blankets?"

"Check."

"Bottles of breast milk?"

"All five of them, check."

"Boo-Boo?"

"Stuffed caterpillar check."

"Extra onesies?"

"Check! Ha. You found the "Bacon Boy" one."

"Told you it was cute. Pacifier?"

"Check."

"Diapers?"

"Check."

"Baby food?"

"Check. But I don't see the bananas. Should we pack them? It's Adam's favorite."

"Yes, go get them after we're done here."

"Aye, Aye, Cap'in Sam."

"...Bib?"

"Check."

"Aaanndd picture of Mommy and Daddy?"

"Check," Freddie answered zipping up the bag with a smile. "And why are we sending him to Daycare with a picture of us?"

"So if he ever gets sad he can see us!" I flipped his forehead. "Duh, Freddifer keep up!"

He rubbed the sore spot with a pout. "Oww…"

"Oh, stop being such a girl… Adam has a bigger tolerance than you…"

He stuck his tongue out at me. "One of these days, Sam-"

"What?" I scoffed throwing the baby bag over by the door then rushing upstairs to grab the baby himself. "I'm the mother of your first and only son. You. Can't. Do. ANYTHING. You're forever in my debt." He grumbled in defeat. "Now go get that banana food from the pantry. Better make that two to be safe."

"You're gonna make him fat!" Freddie shouted up the stairs as I ran.

"Shut up, Fredlag…" I quieted down as I saw Adam playing peacefully in his playpen under the watchful eye of his crazy grandma. "Thanks for watching him Marissa…" I said as I lifted him from the playpen, running my hand over his longer brown locks. "Hey there baby boy. Can you give Mommy a kiss?"

"Mah!" he babbled with a quick peck to my lips.

I could feel Marissa's eyes on me, and I turned slowly, trying my hardest not to glare. "What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing… Just that… I remember the first day I had to send Freddie to Daycare. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I ended up quitting my job for sometime to stay home with him…" she gave a grimace. "Who knows where all those toys in those daycare centers come from?"

I rolled my eyes, bouncing Adam gently. "And…?"

She stood up and walked towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder and for once I didn't feel like shoving her off. "Samantha… when I first found that you were pregnant, I was beyond worried for the baby and for Freddie…"

"Why? Afraid that I would give them STD's?"

"Eh Dee Deez…" Adam mimicked. I nuzzled him lovingly.

"No!" Marissa corrected. "Not at all! I just thought that… You wouldn't be a very good mother… And I am more than sorry for thinking that because, seeing you with him now…" she shook her head as her eyes glistened with tears. "He just looks so much like Freddie when he was a baby… You just remind me of me when I was a young mother…"

Now, of course, I at first took that offensively. But noticing the look in her eyes, and looking at my little boy, seeing his father's face, I understood what she meant. I nodded. "Thanks for that…"

"Your welcome…" she pulled me and Adam into a death-grip hug and rocked us back and forth. "You are a fantastic mother."

"Well," I choked out, barely able to breath. "I have a fantastic kid."

She held me like that for a long time more, until finally, I _had _to push away before the crazy rubbed off on me. "So… umm… Cra- Marissa… I have to drop Adam off at Daycare then I have work so I uh-"

She pulled away instantly. "Oh right! Sorry! I'll let you go." She placed a kiss on Adam's forehead. "Goodbye my sweet! Grandma loves you!"

"Dabah Da da da da di di di!"

"Okay, we have to go now. I'll catch you on the flip side, Grandma!" I rushed out of the room just in time to meet Freddie at the door.

"So everything's good?"

"Darn right, Sexy."

"Dah Sesie!"

"Oh gosh, you're tainting my son…"

I pushed his shoulder as we walked out he door. "Hey, better he learn street from me than geek from you!"

He groaned. "Yeah well…" he extended his arms to the baby and hugged him close. "Hey there little man! You ready for your first day of Daycare?" Adam gave his gummy smile and patted his Daddy's cheeks, gurgling happily.

I watched as Freddie kiss him on the forehead, ruffling his soft baby hair. I still had trouble believing that this life was mine. I was the mother of a perfect baby boy, starting a new job doing what I love to do, living in a beautiful home with the most amazing, sweet, sexy man in the world. The only thing that would make it perfect would be Seattle. Where the sun was never too hot, the air was never dry at all. The best hangout spots were around the corner and life was fun.

"What's up?" Freddie asked when I was silent for sometime.

I shrugged. "Nothing… I just hate it here. I wish Adam could grow up in a town like we did…"

"I know…" he shifted a gurgling Adam to one arm and pulled me against him with the other. "One day we'll go back I promise."

"And if we run into Chandler?" It had been a while since I mentioned that name. A shiver ran through me.

Freddie was silent. "Then I'll do anything it takes to protect my family… _Anything_."

I looked up at him, his face was serious. "You have too good of a heart to do that…"

He gave me a soft smile, shaking his head. "When it comes to you and Adam, nothing else on earth matters more."

My heart melted. "…Love you…"

"I love you too…"

Adam continued to gurgle louder and we both chuckled. "Alright, alright! We're going!" Freddie laughed. "I'll follow you to the Daycare center."

"That's all the way downtown," I answered locking Adam into his car seat. "You'll be late for work. And you know Momma and baby needs your money."

"I don't care if I'm late," he answered seriously. "I'm not gonna miss Adam's first day out of the nest."

"You say that like he's going to college or something."

"Hey, hey, hey… The first day of daycare is a big deal! Our little boy's becoming a man. No discussion, I'm coming with you."

"Fine," I breathed getting into the drivers seat of the SUV. "Suit yourself."

"I will, thanks!" He started the engine of the Focus and soon we were both off. The whole way to Daycare, Adam blabbed and shouted happily to himself.

"Someone's excited about school."

"Di daaaa…."

"Just you wait… Come first grade you'll want out. Trust Mommy, she's been there…"

"Bah nah nah nah nah…"

"Yeah, but see Daddy would definitely say otherwise. But I wouldn't believe him if I were you. He's a bit of a nub…"

"Bayaya…"

The center was half an hour away and the dance studio about four miles up the street so it wasn't too long before me and Adam's conversation had to end, and it was time to take him to his Daycare.

Freddie and I both found parking spaces right near each other and we hopped out of the car at the same time. I looked at him across the distance and really _looked _at him for the first time all day. And boy did he look _good._ That morning I was so busy bathing, dressing, and feeding Adam that I didn't even notice his casual black dress pants and light blue, button up and classy silver tie. He looked clean and fresh, just the way I like 'em.

"Well," I called slamming the car door, throwing out a couple of whistles. "What's cookin' good lookin'?"

That sexy half smile adorned his mouth. "Nothing much… Just taking my seven month old son to Daycare…" he stepped up to me and loosened his tie suggestively. "Does the hot-dad thing work for you?"

I grabbed his tie in my hands and pulled him in for a good one. "Oh, it most certainly does…"

"What's with the get up?"

He looked at me sternly. "Sam, I told you already, I have an important meeting today." He straightened his tie. "It could possibly mean a big promotion to camera director."

I snapped my fingers in realization. "Right! I knew I forgot about something…"

"Well, thanks for forgetting," he chuckled, breaking away with a kiss on my forehead. "Now, let's get Adam out before he freaks."

"Yeah good plan," I answered sliding open the SUV side door. "Hey, baby boy! Ready to go?"

"Aba!"

"Wow, I can't believe this is it…" Freddie whispered in awe. "His first day without me, you, or my mom around."

"One of those options might actually be a good thing." I unbuckled Adam's car seat and lifted him from the cars, he gurgled more than ever at his new surroundings. We definitely were not in the suburbs anymore. Of course, this wasn't as city-like as Freddie and I were used to, but for Adam, it was freakin' Tokyo.

"When are you and my mom going to start getting along?" he asked as he hauled the baby bag over his shoulder.

I shrugged. "I don't really even care. But today, she was all weird."

"Really?"

"Yeah… She was being all sentimental and saying crazy chizz like: 'You remind me of myself when I was raising baby Freddie!'"

"Well, what can I say," he gently kiss the top of Adam's head. "He definitely has his Daddy's good jeans." With a smug grin, he closed the door and pulled me against his side as we strolled into Plains Daycare and Pre-Kindergarten. Not that I minded though. Showing off my family was never something that took much out of me.

Before I came to this place, I have to admit I was nervous for my baby. But looking around, I felt glad that it was just down the street from my new job. There were finger paintings lining the walls, and through the door leading to the main room, I could see little children from pint-sized to mini playing happily with blocks and costumes and in little playhouses. A faint smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the air, making me want to pass out from the sudden hunger.

"Hello!" one of the teachers greeted us. She was an older woman with salt and pepper hair, and squinty blue eyes that were hidden behind a thick pair of glasses. "Welcome to Plains Daycare. My name is Ms. Wanda."

Freddie, of course being the people pleaser, was the first to offer his hand. "Hi Ms. Wanda. I'm Freddie Benson and this is my…" he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. We weren't married, but we were far more than girlfriend and boyfriend. I gave a squeeze gently to his side in encouragement. "My wife Sam."

"Well pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Benson," I felt myself blush at the title. "And who is this handsome boy?"

I chose to spoke up. "This is Adam. Adam can you say hi?"

"Hah da da…" he giggled with a little wave. My heart swelled. Was my baby not the smartest in the world?

"Hello, Adam!" Ms. Wanda gently shook his curled fist. "How old is he?"

"Seven months," Freddie answered, beaming subconsciously.

"Oh that's wonderful. He'll be perfect in our babies class…"

I looked down at Adam, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness rush through me at the thought of letting Adam go for eight hours. I kissed him softly and he returned it with a sweet "Mah!"

"Okay, Adam it's time for you to go!" Freddie kissed him too before I reluctantly handed him off to Ms. Wanda. His big brown eyes widened as he was handed into a total strangers arms. The look in his eyes clearly asked: 'Where are you going Mommy?' And my heart broke. Could I really do this?

I swallowed hard as I choked out instructions for Adam's day. "He's not walking yet at all, but he crawls fast for his age so watch him. Oh, and he's crafty, he'll trick you into doing a lot of things you normally wouldn't. Oh! And he's teething but I don't have any teething rings for him yet so I'll go out to get some on my way back from work, but there are some wash cloths in his bag. If you wet one with cold wa-"

Ms. Wanda gave me a soft smile. "Mrs. Benson, I've had seven children. I know every trick in the book. Cold water on a wash cloth. Or, we have a set of teething rings that can be placed in the fridge if you don't mind me giving him one."

"Oh…" I nodded briefly. "S-sure that's fine too…"

Adam was looking frantically between me, his Daddy, and Ms. Wanda, and once he realized that I wasn't taking him back, he started to cry. Then I started tearing up. "Shhh… baby it's alright…" I took him back from Ms. Wanda for a second and Freddie and I cuddled him close. "Mommy will come back for you soon okay? I will never, ever leave you… Promise."

His whimpering got much worse after we handed him back the second time, and tears ran down his cheeks. "It's much better for all if we say goodbyes quickly…" Ms. Wanda advised.

I felt Freddie take in a shuddering breath behind me. "Alright," he breathed. "Bye little man!"

"We'll see you soon…"

And with that, Ms. Wanda carried him away, wailing like he would never see us again. I don't think I'd ever felt so sad in my life. "I feel like I'm abandoning him…" I whispered into Freddie's chest.

"Oh, Mrs. Benson," he replied playfully. "He needs you to do this. To help him grow up. He just doesn't understand right now but he'll be fine. He's part Puckett remember?"

I thought about it. "That's true…"

"Of course it's true. Would I ever steer you wrong Mrs. Benson?"

"Ugh…" I groaned as he took my hand and practically dragged me through the door. "Please don't call me that… I don't want to feel like your mother…"

He stuck his tongue out at me. "Well what are you going to do when Adam gets into school and people start thinking he's not your son, since your last names would be different?"

I stopped walking. "Of course he's my son!"

"Yeah…" he smirked opening the SUV door taking out the car seat. "Not that anyone else would know…"

I wanted to say something, to smack him, to let him know that just because I didn't share a last name with my son doesn't mean he's any less mine. But I knew his intentions. "Don't you even dare think about guilting me into changing my name…" I looked him up and down as he removed the baby seat. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get off work early today. I thought maybe I could have some male bonding time with Adam…"

"But I was supposed to get him!"

"Sam… Just, let me have an early afternoon with my son. Please? I'll come pick you up for lunch when we're done…"

"… Where are you guys going?"

"The park. Maybe out for beers in a strip joint later," he teased, raising his eyebrows.

I scoffed. "Please we're in rural Montana. The only thing remotely close to a strip joint is Hooters."

"Come on, Sam… I haven't had some alone time with him in months…"

I sighed, waving him away. "Sure… But make sure when you see him you tell him how much Mommy adores him."

"Sure thing Princess Puckett," he pulled me in for a soft kiss then whispered: "I love you…"

"I love you too, Fredlumps."

He flashed me one last sexy smile before he entered his car, started the engine and drove off. I couldn't help but think of the things I would be doing to him tonight after Adam fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**What? More chapters you say? From me? Why yes! Because now I am out of school and I have so much time on my hands I don't know what to do with it! :0) So here is the next installment. Enjoy and review! **

**P.S. This is borderline M so be weary.**

XXX

Freddie

We both rolled onto our backs, breathing heavily, sweat glistening on every inch of our bodies. That was probably-

"The most… amazing sex… of. My. Life!" Sam gasped between breaths, she turned to press herself against me. "Mmm you're freaking fantastic, Freddison… But don't… even think… for second that… I will _ever_ say that again… "

"Thank you," I choked out, my voice cracked horribly like I was going through puberty again. "I-I don't think… I've ever seen you move… like that… before…"

"Ha…" she huffed. "No… kidding… You either. Do that thing you did just now... _A LOT_ more often, 'kay?"

"I don't know if it's humanly possible…"

"Yeah well you better learn to make it humanly possible… That was spectacular. I'm pretty sure I just worked off the last of my pregnancy hormones…"

I laughed. "I'm thinking my testosterone count's going to need a few more days to restock too…" We both glanced at each other, holding our gazes until we both burst out in side splitting laughter. I'm not even sure what was funny, but it didn't matter. Since Adam was born, it's been a while since we had time to just laugh at nothing together.

After a while, her laughter stopped on a sigh as she wiped on graceful finger under her eye, brushing away the tears. "I've missed this…"

"Me too," I agreed adamantly. "We should make it a thing to do this more…"

"What? Have mind blowing sex?"

"Not just sex..." I rolled on top of her, feeling a predatory rush take over me. "Get some time to ourselves, you know, to reconnect. 'Cause right now, Sammy... I feel more connected to you than ever…" I attacked her neck and chest with kisses.

She giggled wildly when I found a ticklish spot. "Freddie!" she cried. "Freddie! …Stop it! Stop we're going to wake up Adam!" Then the sound of whimpering came across the baby monitor.

"Shh!" Sam ordered. "Maybe he'll go back to sleep."

We waited in dead silence as the monitor seemingly went silent. We both sighed in relief until wailing was heard not only on the monitor, but through the walls too. We gave a collective groan before Sam shoved me off of her. "Great job, Nubcase. You woke him up."

"Me?" I exclaimed as she crawled out from under me and flipped on the lamp, searching around for her robe. "I wasn't the one giggling out of control!"

"Oh, shut up… You know how ticklish I am…" she found my robe and put in on, tying the string hastily. "And anyway, he would have woken up soon. Big dinners mean big poop…" And she left the room.

I slumped back onto the pillows with a sigh, taking a few breaths to calm my still over active body. But as becoming a father showed me, staying in bed all day with your wife was something for younger, childless people. And honestly, I wouldn't give up having Adam for anything in the world.

It was a while before Sam shuffled back into our room and flopped herself onto the pillows. "Was he alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It was a little soupy so he wasn't feeling well I guess, and he's still got a slight fever from teething. But he's alright."

"We should probably take him to the doctor soon," I suggested.

"Can you take him tomorrow morning before we get Ben and Carly from the airport? I don't want to take him out if he's sick."

"Sounds like a plan." I leaned over her to turn off our light. "Now… where were we?"

"Going to sleep…" she answered quickly.

I groaned loudly. "Ugh why? I'm pretty sure there was something much more important going on!"

"Oh there was," she assured me. "You don't even have a clue about what I was going to do with you… After that performance," she shook her head with a smile. "You were definitely in for an encore. And maybe even an after party… That was of course… until you woke my son."

"First of all he's _our_ son. And second, _you_ were the one that woke him."

"Yes, but you were tickling me so it's your fault!" she flipped over still in her robe, and snuggled under the blankets. "Goodnight Frendolyn."

I stared at her back, willing her to turn over so we could finish what we started. "You are a cruel woman, Sam Puckett…"

Slowly, she turned her head to glance at me from the corner of her eye and smiled. She moved herself backwards to press her back to my front. I gasped when I found her as naked as she was just minutes ago and my body instantly reacted. "H-how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Take the robe off without me even noticing?"

She chuckled in a low, sultry voice. "Oh Fredward… There is still so little you know about me isn't there?"

I breathed out slowly, willing more prominent party of me to slow down. It didn't work. Not at _all_. I grabbed Sam, flipping her over so that I was on top of her, pushing my manhood against her. "Either I take a cold shower and let _this_ go to waste, or you let me have my way with you for as long as I can keep going…"

She swallowed hard, eyes wide and darkening fast. "A man who takes charge… I like it."

XXX

Marissa

I had always known that my Fredward and Samantha were engaged sexually. How else would my beautiful grandson be in existence? But for the first time ever…

I heard it.

And for the first time in months…

I desperately needed a glass of chardonnay.

And two cans of Mr. Tidy for the upstairs bedroom.

XXX

Carly

So Ben wasn't coming with me.

He said he had some important things to handle at work and that he would meet me in Montana in a few days. Who was I to argue? In all honesty, a few days away from Ben would be… refreshing. I needed sometime alone with just my two best friends and my quickly growing nephew.

Exiting the airport, I was excited to find instantly Freddie standing outside with a sign that said "The Lovely Aunt Carly." The sun was in my eyes, so I almost missed him, but thankfully I did. I rushed to him throwing my arms around him.

"Freddie!" I shouted as we hugged. "Oh my gosh, it's been too long!"

"I know!" he gave me a final squeeze before he let me go. "It's great to see you Aunt Carly," he said in a highly fake, British accent. "I highly apologize but Princess Puckett and Prince Adam will not be joining us on this voyage. The young highness has a small fever due to an intense case of the teething."

"Oh dear…" I replied in an equally pompous British accent. "Will the Prince fare well?"

"It appears so yes! He shall be fine with a little rest and lots of love, although I must note that he is not quite himself."

"I wouldn't expect so, no…" I shook my head with a smile. "Alright can we stop with the accents please?"

"Sure," he laughed. "So where's Ben?"

"Oh, something came up at his job and he won't be able to come up for a few days…"

"Hey, that's alright. I think we could all use sometime to catch up on our own anyways," he grabbed my bag and we walked over to his car. A nice one at that. Black and sleek, yet utterly masculine and roomy. There was a little "baby on board" sign on the back window, completely cancelling out the "bachelor" feel of the car. It was still hard to picture Freddie as a daddy.

"This is a great car, Freddie."

"Thanks, Carls!" He stuffed my bag into the trunk. "Adam likes the SUV better though. It has a DVD player so he can watch Bob the Builder."

"Aw…" I cooed. "I can't wait to see him." I moved to open the passenger seat door, but stopped when I found that someone was sitting there. He looked up at me from the rolled down window as I looked down. And there were the most beautiful pair of eyes I've ever seen. A dark green, almost hazel, fringed with the longest lashes. On his head was a mop of dark brown curls that complimented his tanned skin. I almost said 'Woow…' out loud but I stopped myself.

"Oh, yeah Carly, I wanted to drop a buddy of my from work home. He's on the way from the airport. That okay with you?"

I nodded, still somewhat entranced. "Sure…"

When I slid into the back seat, the man instantly turned towards me. His eyes were even more stunning up close. "Hi…" he said holding out his hand before Freddie could introduce us. "I'm Jesse."

What a smooth voice. "I'm Carly… Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too…" my heart was beating out of my chest. How cute was this guy?

It was when Freddie cleared his throat that I realized we had been staring at each other. How embarrassing. I looked away quickly, blushing. I swear I could hear Freddie chuckling and for that he would pay. But for now, I'd play the part of the lady. I tried to calm my nerves and strike up conversation. "So Jesse, you don't sound like you're from Montana."

He smiled, and I saw a cute dimple form right at the corner of his mouth. "That's because I'm not. I was born and raised in sunny L.A."

"Nice…" was all I could muster. Again, embarrassing. "I love L.A. What was it like growing up there?"

"It was a blast. I didn't even own a real jacket until my dad had to move to Georgia to train the Marines. I used to go visit him there in the winter and you wouldn't believe how chilly it gets on those border islands."

"Oh my gosh, my dad was in the Marines too."

"Seriously?" he turned in his seat to look at me face on. "How often did you see him?"

I shook my head, becoming sad at the memory. "Not very often. My mother died when I was born and my dad was in the army since I was a five. I lived with my Grandfather until my brother turned 21 then I moved in with him. I hardly ever saw my dad, but I had the best years of my life living with Spencer."

"We both did," Freddie added. "Sam, Carly, and I practically lived in the same house. I lived across the hall, and Sam slept over at Carly's almost every night."

"It's true… she even claimed her own drawer for her clothes."

"Wait, Sam too?" Jesse asked. "How long have you guys known each other?"

"Well, I've known Sam for most of my life. Since we were in the 2nd grade. And we've known Carly since we were all in 7th grade."

"Wow," Jesse chuckled softly as those dimples reappeared. "It seems like you guys have quite the story. So you've know your fiancé for _that _long?"

Freddie nodded. "Yup. And actually, I spent the majority of my teen hood desperately in love Carly."

Jesse looked between us. "Really…?"

I nodded, giggling at his expression. "Delusional right?"

Jesse grinned at mean. "Not really…" he replied. "I don't blame him. You're beautiful…"

Now that deserved an aw. "Awww… No I'm not…"

"It's true…"

"Well thank you…"

There was a long pause again until Freddie cleared his throat and yet _again _I realized that we had been staring. I ran my fingers through my hair, taking out the sunglasses that sat on top of my head and started fiddling with them.

"Umm…" Jesse stuttered. "So anyway… I'm guessing Sam bossed you around just as much as now right?"

Freddie scoffed, nodding his head sharply. "Yeah… I never ends… I can't even pinpoint a real beginning. And to make it worse, I was short, I was small, and puberty hit me pretty late…"

"Yes, it did…" I added. "And _I_ was always caught in the crossfire…" I pulled out my glittery wallet and produced a picture from the folds. It was one of me, Sam, and Freddie on Halloween when we were twelve. Freddie wore a bright grin on his then little face, and I could almost hear a squeaky little voice cry out: 'Leave me alone, Sam!' "Here's a picture of us when we were really young. Doing iCarly."

I handed it to Jesse and he laughed heartily at the image of little Freddie. "Look at you guys! Wow, Sam looks so young… So do you Carly. Freddie… you look like you're five…"

The two of us laughed as Freddie nodded his head in acknowledgement of the teasing. "Yeah, yeah… get it out of your system. If you haven't noticed, I am a very successful, grown man now!"

"Finally…" I whispered, bringing out more rumbling laughs from Jesse.

"She's funny," Jesse mentioned. "I like it…"

I looked down, feeling that blush rise to my cheeks again. And if that wasn't worse, what Freddie said was the cherry on top. "Hey, Jess? Feel like coming over for dinner? It's been a while since you've seen Adam and Sam and I'm sure they'd like to see you. Plus, you can get to know Carly better." Freddie smirked at me through the rearview mirror and I so badly wanted to throw my sunglasses at him. "If you want to that is."

"Sure! I'd love to. " Jesse agreed, smiling back at me. "But only if your mom's not cooking…"

"No… I wouldn't put you at that kind of risk. Sam's making Spaghetti Tacos in honor of Carly's visit. Carly's brother Spencer used to make them for us basically every night. Just like old times, hey Carls?"

I looked between him and Jesse, my best friend and one of the nicest men I had ever met. That blush stayed on my face permanently. "Yep… Old. Times…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the glowing reviews guys! They're really lighting up my days and making me want to write more for you! So keep 'em coming :0) Here's an extra long chapter from Carly's point of view. Read and review... and criticise!**

XXX

Carly

So Ben wasn't coming with me.

He said he had some important things to handle at work and that he would meet me in Montana in a few days. Who was I to argue? In all honesty, a few days away from Ben would be… refreshing. I needed sometime alone with just my two best friends and my quickly growing nephew. Away from my suffocating fiancee.

It was a hot day in good 'ol Monatana. The sun was baking down and I started sweating almost as so as I left baggage claim. Exiting the airport, I was excited to find instantly Freddie standing outside with a sign that said "The Lovely Aunt Carly." I rushed to him throwing my arms around him.

"Freddie! Oh my gosh, it's been too long!"

"I know!" he gave me a final squeeze before he let me go. "It's great to see you Aunt Carly," he said in his 'Fuffley' accent. "I highly apologize but Princess Puckett and Prince Adam will not be joining us on this voyage. The young highness has a small fever due to an intense case of the teething."

"Oh dear…" I replied, trying to mimick him. "Will the Prince fare well?"

"It appears so yes! He shall be fine with a little rest and lots of love, although I must note that he is not quite himself."

"I wouldn't expect so, no…" I shook my head with a smile. "Alright can we stop with the accents please?"

"Sure," he laughed. "So where's Ben?"

"Oh, something came up at his job and he won't be able to come up for a few days…"

"Hey, that's alright. I think we could all use sometime to catch up on our own anyways," he grabbed my bag and we walked over to his car. A nice one at that. Black and sleek, yet utterly masculine and roomy. There was a little "baby on board" sign on the back window, completely cancelling out the "bachelor" feel of the car. It was still hard to picture Freddie as a daddy.

"This is a great car, Freddie."

"Thanks, Carls!" He stuffed my bag into the trunk. "Adam likes the SUV better though. It has a DVD player so he can watch Bob the Builder."

"Aw…" I cooed. "I can't wait to see him." I moved to open the passenger seat door, but stopped when I found that someone was sitting there. He looked up at me from the rolled down window as I looked down. And there were the most beautiful pair of eyes I've ever seen. A dark green, almost hazel, fringed with the longest lashes. On his head was a mop of dark brown curls that complimented his tanned skin. I almost said 'Woow…' out loud but I stopped myself.

"Oh, yeah Carly, I wanted to drop a buddy of my from work home. He's on the way from the airport. That okay with you?"

I nodded, still somewhat entranced. "Sure…"

When I slid into the back seat, the man instantly turned towards me. His eyes were even more stunning up close. "Hi…" he said holding out his hand before Freddie could introduce us. "I'm Jesse."

What a smooth voice. "I'm Carly… Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too…" my heart was beating out of my chest. How cute was this guy?

It was when Freddie cleared his throat that I realized we had been staring at each other. How embarrassing. I looked away quickly, blushing. I swear I could hear Freddie chuckling and for that he would pay. But for now, I'd play the part of the lady. I tried to calm my nerves and strike up conversation. "So Jesse, you don't sound like you're from Montana."

He smiled, and I saw a cute dimple form right at the corner of his mouth. "That's because I'm not. I was born and raised in sunny L.A."

"Nice…" was all I could muster. Again, embarrassing. "I love L.A. What was it like growing up there?"

"It was a blast. I didn't even own a real jacket until my dad had to move to Georgia to train the Marines. I used to go visit him there in the winter and you wouldn't believe how chilly it gets on those border islands."

"Oh my gosh, my dad was in the Marines too."

"Seriously?" he turned in his seat to look at me face on. "How often did you see him?"

I shook my head, becoming sad at the memory. "Not very often. My mother died when I was born and my dad was in the army since I was a five. I lived with my Grandfather until my brother turned 21 then I moved in with him. I hardly ever saw my dad, but I had the best years of my life living with Spencer."

"We both did," Freddie added. "Sam, Carly, and I practically lived in the same house. I lived across the hall, and Sam slept over at Carly's almost every night."

"It's true… she even claimed her own drawer for her clothes."

"Wait, Sam too?" Jesse asked. "How long have you guys known each other?"

"Well, I've known Sam for most of my life. Since we were in the 2nd grade. And we've known Carly since we were all in 7th grade."

"Wow," Jesse chuckled softly as those dimples reappeared. "It seems like you guys have quite the story. So you've know your fiancé for _that _long?"

Freddie nodded. "Yup. And actually, I spent the majority of my teen hood desperately in love Carly."

Jesse looked between us. "Really…?"

I nodded, giggling at his expression. "Delusional right?"

Jesse grinned at mean. "Not really…" he replied. "I don't blame him. You're beautiful…"

Now that deserved an aw. "Awww… No I'm not…"

"It's true…"

"Well thank you…"

There was a long pause again until Freddie cleared his throat and yet _again _I realized that we had been staring. I ran my fingers through my hair, taking off the sunglasses that sat on top of my head and started fiddling with them.

"Umm…" Jesse stuttered. "So anyway… I'm guessing Sam bossed you around just as much as now right?"

Freddie scoffed, nodding his head sharply. "Yeah… it never ends… I can't even pinpoint a real beginning. And to make it worse, I was short, I was small, and puberty hit me pretty late…"

"Yes, it did…" I added. "And _I_ was always caught in the crossfire…" I pulled out my glittery wallet and produced a picture from the folds. It was one of me, Sam, and Freddie on Halloween when we were fourteen. Freddie wore a bright grin on his then little face, and I could almost hear a squeaky little voice cry out: 'Leave me alone, Sam!' "Here's a picture of us when we were really young. Doing iCarly."

I handed it to Jesse and he laughed heartily at the image of little Freddie. "Look at you guys! Really, Freddie? Fourteen? Don't think so."

The two of us laughed as Freddie nodded his head in acknowledgement of the teasing. "Yeah, yeah… get it out of your system. If you haven't noticed, I am a very successful, grown man now!"

"Finally…" I whispered, bringing out more rumbling laughs from Jesse.

"She's funny," Jesse mentioned. "I like it…"

I looked down, feeling that blush rise to my cheeks again. And if that wasn't worse, what Freddie said was the cherry on top. "Hey, Jess? Feel like coming over for dinner? It's been a while since you've seen Adam and Sam and I'm sure they'd like to see you. Plus, you can get to know Carly better." Freddie smirked at me through the rearview mirror and I so badly wanted to throw my sunglasses at him. "If you want to that is."

"Sure! I'd love to. " Jesse agreed, smiling back at me. "But only if your mom's not cooking…"

"No… I wouldn't put you at that kind of risk. Sam's making Spaghetti Tacos in honor of Carly's visit. Carly's brother Spencer used to make them for us basically every night. It'll be just like old times, hey Carls?"

I looked between him and Jesse, one of the nicest men I had ever met. That blush stayed on my face permanently. "Yep… Old. Times…"

XXX

Later on that night, after dinner, Sam and Freddie went upstairs to tend to Adam and left Jesse and I alone. I almost expected tons of awkward silence to ensue, but there was none of that at all. In fact, we couldn't stop talking. If there was even a bit of a lull, it was almost instantly filled with more laughter, or conversation, or sipping of Mrs. Benson's delicious taste in wine. I was having blast with this man.

"So then I told her that she had cotton balls for brains. And then she said that I had cotton for balls."

I laughed, almost doing a spit take with my wine. "That's funny…"

"Oh trust me I didn't think so then," he replied with a bright smile.

"I'll have to use it sometime."

"Yeah, it'll throw any guy off guard…." he thought for a moment. "Or girl if you want it to get _really _ugly…"

We both burst out laughing loudly before we heard Sam call down the stairs. "Will you to shut up! We're trying to get Adam back to sleep!"

We glanced at each other and I put a finger to my lips. "Sorry, Sam…" we grumbled in unison.

"Jeez…" Sam mumbled and we heard her footsteps stomping back up the stairs.

We both giggled softly. "Gotta love Sam…" I whispered.

"I know," Jesse drank the final sip of his wine. "She's a great person behind the tough exterior. Especially when she's with Adam."

I nodded. "She's a better mother than I ever thought she would be."

"She's very protective though… Freddie's way more liberal."

"That's probably because Sam's mom was very… chill… Too chill… And Freddie's mom was… well… Mrs. Benson…"

Jesse laughed softly. "Yeah that speaks for itself…" He stood from the table, stretching. "Well, I'd better get going. Freddie should be okay to take me home by now."

"Alright…" I almost groaned in disappointment. "Well it was very nice meeting you…"

He stopped for a minute, turning to look at me. There was this softness in his eyes that made me blush. "Carly…" he whispered. "Can I see you again?"

I choked on my breath. "Yes." I answered quickly before I could think about it. "Yes, I would love to see you again."

He smiled again. "Great… How does Wednesday sound?"

I held in a gasp. That was the day Ben would be flying in. "Oh um… S-sure... Wednesday's great. But can we make it an earlier time? Uh... Adam has a... uh... presentation at his Daycare so uh... I wanna be there..."

He tapped his leg in thought before I nodded. "That can work. I'll pick you up here for lunch. Around 2?"

I nodded, trying my very best to reign in the happy. "Perfect."

"Okay…" he whispered, pulling me into a hug. "I can't wait."

"Me neither."

"Can't wait for what?" Freddie's voice interrupted. We sprang apart.

"Oh," Jesse jumped in. "We're going-"

"Downtown!" I stopped him. "Yeah… Jesse wants to show me around. You know, show me what Montana has in store…"

"But, Carly we-"

"Are going to have the _best _time!"

Freddie and Jesse exchanged confused glances. "Oookay…" Freddie shrugged. "Uh… Anyway… ready to go, Jess?"

"Yeah, man thanks I'll be right out," he turned to me again as Freddie walked out the door. "What was that about?"

"Um… see I'd rather not have Sam and Freddie know about our... outing just yet…"

He grinned. "You can call it what it is, Carly. A _date_. And why can't we tell them?"

"Why? Uh…" I stuttered. I was such a bad liar. "Uh… because… they're going to be jealous… that's why… Plus they're my best friends, you know, I'd rather just tell them myself…"

Jesse chuckled with a shrug. "Sure thing, Carly… I'll keep my lips zipped promise." He chuckled. "You're so weird," he teased as he walked away, shutting the door behind him. "I'll see you Wednesday…"

"Kay…" I whispered. When everything was quiet, I danced around wildly, doing the happiest Happy Dance I possible could.

"Caaarls?" Sam called in a cautious voice. "What are you doing?"

I paused quickly, fixing my hair in the process. "Oh, nothing! There was a… bug in my hair…"

"Oh please…" she scoffed walking down the stairs. "Crazy keeps this house totally germ free. You were happy dancing!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!" she stepped closer to me, pointing an accusing finger at my face. "You were happy dancing because you're going on a _date _with Jesse and you didn't tell him you were engaged!"

I swallowed hard. She was good. "Yeah? So what? Maybe I need a break from Ben… He can be so high maintenance…"

"Ha!" she squealed softly. "I knew you weren't in love with Ben…"

I was quiet.

"So then why are you marrying him?"

I looked away. I was always the advocate for marriage of love not necessity, yet here I was, marrying a guy who I wasn't in love with at all simply because...

"I don't want to end up alone, Sam..."

"Carly..."

"No!" I shook my head, stepping away from her. "You just don't get it... I keep finding the wrong guys. Guys who want nothing more than... the business... then they leave me. Ben is the only one who's stuck around long enough to get to know me and it still feels like he's with me for some alterior motive. Maybe I decided that settling is better than nothing."

"Carly, you should't have to settle. There's someone out there for everyone and-"

"That's easy for you to say," I answered harshly. "You found the love of your life when you were a teenager and had him sitting right under your nose since elementary school. You didn't even need to have a second thought about settling!"

Sam's mouth hung slighty agape and she crossed her arms. "What's gotten into you Carls? I thought you were happy for me and Freddie."

My stomach dropped at the tone of hurt in her voice. I didn't mean for what I said to come out so terribly. Apoogetically, I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I _am _happy for you guys. You have the perfect life. I can't help it that I'm... a little jeaous."

"You're jealous? Of.. _me?" _I nodded. "Carly... You were always the one that I was jealous of... You're the pretty one, the smart one, the friendly one, the funny one, the stylish one... I'm just your plucky sidekick who beats people up."

"But you're the mom, the wife, the friend... That's what I want..." I shook my head. "And Sam, you were never the plucky side kick to me. You're my sister. My equal. You know that right?"

She shrugged. "I guess... But I wasn't to everyone else. It took me a while to realise that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. _You _were the one that taught me that. Where's that confident Carly now?"

We stayed like that. Silent for a while until I finally whispered. "She left when her best friends did..."

For one of the few times I've ever witnessed, I saw tears glisten in Sam's eyes. "I'm sorry Carls..."

She pulled me into a hug, both of us tearing up, and didn't let me go until Freddie walked through the door. Without asking anything, he wrapped his arms back around us both and we cried again. It was the start of a whole new level of friendship between us.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello friends :0) This chapter is a little shorter but very important. It has a twist! Enjoy and review!**

XXX  
>Carly<p>

I have never been this nervous for a date in my life

Jesse would be here to pick me up in an hour and I could barely hold my mascara steady. It was after I poked myself in the eye for the fiftieth time that I called Sam for help. The dance studio was closed for the rest of the week for renovation so she stayed home.

"Sam!"

"What?"

"Can you come help me put on my make up?"

Her groan echoed the halls. "Why can't you do it yourself?"

"I'm too… shaky!"

I heard Sam's laughter grow louder as she walked into the guest room where I was staying. "Why?" she teased, leaning against the doorframe. "Afraid Ben's gonna walk in on your _date_?"

I rolled my eyes, extending the mascara brush out to her. "Noo…" I drawled. "It's just… Jesse is a really nice guy. I want him to like me."

"I think he already does like you," she took the brush from me and started applying the makeup for me.

"Really? How do you know?"

"Freddie told me that while he was dropping him home, you were all he talked about…"

My eyes flicked opened and I looked up into Sam's smiling face. "Seriously?"

"Seriously, dude," she waved her hand to tell me to close my eyes again. "But, Carls… But don't you think you should dump Ben before you go through with this?"

I sighed. "Sam… You don't understand. Ben is… different…"

Her mascara-ing paused. "Different how?"

"He can be really pushy… not exactly abusive, but… borderline. If I just broke up with him, I don't know what he'd do."

"Carly," Sam's voice held a seriousness I had never heard in all our years of being best friends, I opened my eyes. "You _know _what it was like for me with Chandler… If you need to take out a restraining order, call the police, call me to kill him, whatever it is… you have to do it. If this relationship is to the point where you feel like he could hit you at anytime, get out of there."

I studied her face. She was right, I knew she was right. I've known all along. "I know… I want to but, what am I going to do? He's flying in today!"

"Hmm…." she chewed on her lip in contemplation. "Alright, you just leave that to me."

"Sam? What are you going to do?"

She shook her head at me. "If you don't have a clue by now, I don't think we should be friends."

I laughed. "Just don't go overboard okay?"

"What ever…" she teased. "Okay done."

I turned and looked in the mirror, liking the way she added a little more on the corners of my eyes to make them look bigger. "Nicely done, Sam. You know, you actually have a better eye for style than you let on?"

She dismissed the comment with another wave of her hand. "Eh I guess…" she replied. She grabbed the brush and started on my hair. "I miss my baby… I don't know why Freddie insisted on him going to school when I'm here to take care of him…"

"It helps him learn to be social around other people besides Mommy and Daddy."

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop me from wishing he was here… Oh, and can you pick him up for me today? I'll go," she cleared her throat. "Deal with Benjamin."

I chuckled. "I'd love too."

"Thanks. But don't forget, you have to know his secret word."

"Secret word?"

"Yeah. It's so that some random sicko can't steal him. If you don't know the secret word, you can't pick him or any other kid up."

"Oh, okay. So what's the secret word?"

"...Meatball Mondays."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course it is..."

XXX  
>Ben<p>

_'Meatball Mondays_?' Ben thought. _'This was too easy._'

He pressed his ear closer to the window.

_"_Yeah. It was between that and Bacon Baby but... I'm afraid they'd get the wrong idea..."

He heard Carly laugh. "Okay, so what time do I need to get him?"

"Around 4. Is that okay? Do you think you're _date _will be over by then?"

_'DATE?_' Ben thought. _'The whore is cheating on me? On _me?'

"I guess so. If not I'll just take Jesse with me."

_'Jesse?'_

"You know, you guys are actually cute. Imagine if you married him. Carly Scarponi. It has a ring to it doesn't it?"

"...I guess..."

Ben staggered away from the window, stomping angrily back to his car. His red convertible. He would get his revenge. As soon as he got into the car, he turned the ignition and sped off, his GPS already set to lead him to Plains Daycare and Pre-Kindergarten. He chuckled to himself. Heads would roll.

XXX  
>Carly<p>

As soon as I heard the _ding-dong_ of the doorbell, my heart jumped into overdrive. "There he is..."

Sam chuckled at me. "Oh, calm down... You know Jesse is a nice guy."

"Exactly!" I stood from the chair infront of the vanity. "Which is all the more reason for me to want to impress him..."

The doorbell rang again, this time twice. "Hold your horses! We're coming!" Sam shouted. She patted my shoulder. "Go get 'em tiger..."

XXX  
>Ben<p>

Ben arrived at the Daycare, slamming the door of his car as he strode into the building. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and remain his composure.

No one would hand a baby over to an agry man.

XXX  
>Carly<p>

"H-Hi.. Jesse..." I stuttered as I opened the door.

"Hey, Carly," he gave me a warm smile and pulled me into an even warmer hug. "It's great to see you again."

He smelled amazing. "Yeah, you too..."

When we pulled away, a slightly awkward silnce washed over us. "Umm..." I murmured.

"So... You ready to go?"

"Y-yeah," I stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind me. "Where are you taking me?"

"Well there's a fantastic chinese restaraunt downtown and a great, park with a lake. I was thinking we could eat, then take a walk?"

My nerves suddenly melted away and I leaned against him, atching onto his arm. "That sounds amazing..."

XXX  
>Ben<p>

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Adam Benson."

A, smiley old lady with glasses and salt and pepper hair was helping me. "Alright, do you know his scret word or phrase?"

"Meatball Mondays," he laughed. It was a forced laugh, but a believable one.

"Ah yes," the woman chuckled. "Sam Benson is one for meat products."

Ben's fingers curled at the name _Sam._ "Yeah," he forced. "She sure is."

"Alright, I'll go get Adam for you. Oh your name?"

"Jesse," he answered. "Jesse Scarponi."


End file.
